Glass Onion

San diego Trip

2011-01-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

We had Frankie's first flight last weekend. He was a champ! We went to San Diego to visit Jared's (and my) cousins. We hit the San Diego Zoo (for free, thanks to Amber's sister), the coast, a house party, and lots of hanging out. It was great to see family and reconnect. The weather didn't hurt either.

What a nice day.

2011-01-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

He napped for an hour and a half in the morning and another 2 and a half hours in the afternoon. I read my book and snuggled with him while he napped in the afternoon. I had the Sky Babies over for mommy date and went to a good, long walk with him. He went down with only a couple of cries and JJ and I ate spicy pasta and watched Pushing Daisies.

Santa fell through the window at the Hole in the Wall on Christmas night

2010-12-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

Santa was dancing (wasted, uninvited, in full Santa gear) on the stage for Christmas Karaoke when he fell backward through the plate glass front window. He was still lying there (along with 3 ambulances, 2 cop cars, 2 gurneys, and a neck brace) when I left a half hour later. Here's the really funny part, his friend who sat on his lap earlier and sang "Santa Baby" hopped on stage, grabbed the mic, and was announcing that he was really hurt and was his roommate there and looking all concerned. Then the karaoke people asked if they should keep going and the manager says yes and they announced the name of the next singer and it's her. She totally takes the stage and sings her song, "I feel Good" literally feet from the dude who's still on the sidewalk, bleeding, and surrounded by paramedics. Awesome.
Note: I went next with "I love the nightlife", and i do.

Visualization

2010-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Imagine you ate an Arby's Big Montana and a fistful of cheese squares, drove for 8 hours and it's time to take that soul-shattering shit. You're sitting there just waiting, but nothing's coming. You realize the shit's way, way, way bigger than your asshole. Then someone busts in the bathroom and tells you that if you don't shit RIGHT NOW someone will die.
Intense.
So that person stands in the bathroom and tells you to push as hard as physically possible for 10 seconds.
So hard your face turns red.
So hard your head pounds.
So hard you puke.

Ten seconds are over. You take a deep breath and halfway through releasing it - PUSH!!!
So hard hemorrhoids bubble out.
So hard your teeth grind.
So hard you quake.
Ten more seconds of agony.

-a breath-

You know this time that you won't have much time to breath so you breath a little faster.
PUSH!!!
So hard your mind leaves.
So hard you feel yourself tearing open.
So hard you are no longer yourself.

Ahhhh... a break. 15-45 seconds of relief. Then do it again. Do it over and over and over for hours.

Childbirth.

Why you shouldn't talk to me about your weight-loss efforts

2010-09-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

#1 I have no frame of reference for what your body weight numbers and am frequently confused.

When you look at me intently and say, "I used to weight 160," I have no idea whether to smile conciliatorily and look shocked that you were ever so heavy, or give you a commiserating nod indicating that I too used to weight less.

#2 Your weight makes you hate yourself and if will confuse you that mine doesn't.

You'll think I'm trying to undermine your efforts. You'll think I'm putting on a brave face. I'm not.

#3 I will tire quickly while you're just getting started.

I have a lot of interests, dieting isn't one of them. I'll be polite, but will reveal my boredom if pressed.

#4 You'll misspeak and be worried that you've offended me.

You may at some point realize that saying that you're hideous and disgusting because you're 30 pounds overweight is incredibly rude. I won't be offended, but I'll feel sorry for you as you try to backpedal.

#5 You'll try to offer advice.

Don't do this. Really. And if you bring up weight loss surgery, no matter how "casually", I'll hold a grudge for years.

Cloth Diapers

2010-09-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

We're loving cloth diapering. We save a shitload of money and get to be sanctimoniously green. We even started using cloth wipes which totally grossed me out the first time I heard about it. I think I thought it would be like washing my toilet paper, but, of course, it's baby waste so it's not so very nasty.
Here's the kind of dipes we went with:

They're Kawaii dipes from www.theluvyourbaby.com

Today, however, he has a tummy problem; the kind that causes one to go through A LOT of diapers. Thus, I have formally cut into the diaper cake made by my friend Sarah.

Motherhood acronyms

2010-09-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's an attempt to form an "in group"/"out group". It's intentionally confusing and kind of fun.

Acronyms What they mean
AF Aunt Flo — menstruation/period
AP attachment parenting
BC because, or birth control, or before children
BF breastfeed, or boyfriend
CIO cry it out
Circ. circumcise
DC daycare, dear child
DD dear daughter
DF dear fiancee
DH dear husband
DS dear son
DTD do the deed
DW dear wife
EBF extended breastfeeding, exclusively breastfeeding
EBM expressed breast milk
EDD estimated due date, or expected date of delivery
FF formula feeding
FIL father-in-law
FT full time
FTM first time mom
L&D labor and delivery
LO little one
MIL mother-in-law
ML maternity leave
PPD postpartum depression
SAHD stay-at-home dad
SAHM stay-at-home mom
SAHP stay-at-home parent
SIL sister-in-law
SO significant other
TTC trying to conceive
US or U/S ultrasound
VBAC vaginal birth after cesarean section
WAH work at home
WOH work out of the home

Julios Tortilla Chips makes a seasoning...

2010-09-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

we bought some on our way to Fredericks burg last year. It has a lot of yummy, yummy MSG in it.
I just made Kale chips seasoned with Julios. Genius! Yummy!

I'm no good at this

2010-09-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

I think it's time to outsource my blog to someone with a better write-ethic. I haven't written since before Frankie was born and he's over three months old!
*Trying Again*
Franco noticed rain for the first time yesterday. Notably, it was during a very rare Texas Hill Country tropical storm (Hermine to be exact). He stared out the window for about 20 minutes. Later he was playing with his rattly bee and got progressively more indignant that rattly bee wouldn't fit in his mouth. He eventually gave up, flopped back and fussed me into picking him up. He buried his head in my armpit, but peeked out at rattly bee periodically, maybe to see if it was still there...maybe glaringly.

Baby NEEDS this:

2010-03-31T10:06:00.001-07:00

i can't decide which dairy free hollandaise recipe to use...

2010-03-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

Yogurt Hollandaise Sauce

¾ cup Soy Yogurt
2 tsp. lemon (or lime) juice
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. salt
pinch pepper
dash Tabasco sauce
In top of double boiler, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, egg yolks, mustard, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly for 8 to 12 minutes or until sauce is thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. (May be made ahead and reheated.)

Hollandaise Sauce - Dairy Free
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup margarine
Directions
1Beat egg yolks and lemon juice for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
2Melt margarine ina saucepan and slowly pour hot margarine into egg mixture, beating at high speed until fluffy.

Hollandaise Sauce - Dairy Free
4 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
8 tablespoons margarine (made without hydrogenated oil, if possible)
Melt the margarine in a saucepan. In your food processor, place the egg yolks, salt, mustard, and lemon juice. Process for 3-4 seconds. Reheat the melted margarine until it starts to boil, then, with the food processor spinning, slowly pour in the hot margarine through your feed tube. The sauce will thicken before your eyes. This recipe makes enough sauce for 8 servings.

Snacks

2010-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today my snacks are pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate-covered cherries, and dried dates.

I prefer grown-up Joni Mitchell

2009-08-21T15:10:00.001-07:00

Self Sorting

2009-08-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

I know I need to read that book, The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart, but I have to mention that I was taking an online quiz, the type that's supposed to shed light on your mind in a way you've never thought of before but as a hyper-analytical person is ALWAYS disappointing, and I found myself thinking, "no one would ever answer that way, " over and over again. So I clicked on another one and another one and realized that I'm not just isolated from "differently minded persons", I have ceased to believe they exist.
When I attended school (particularly public school) and, to a certain extent, church, I was around people whose minds functioned differently from mine. There is some obvious self-sorting (or parental-sorting) when you attend a fundamentalist, literal, evangelical branch of Christianity church / private school. There were students who's nit-witted parents saw a cheap private school and thought *score* rather than a *big red flag*, but not that many.
As an adult my friends almost all fall into a broad category that I dare not define for fear of offending, but that leans dangerously toward music, books, politics, the social sciences, etc. I just hope I'm not missing out on tons of potentially bad-ass financial adviser, police officer, and number-cruncher friends out there.

2009-08-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz
The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.
Left Brain Dominance:	(10)
Right Brain Dominance:	(10)
Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

Monday, June 1st

2009-06-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Heading out to a put luck at Colin's friend Sarah's place. They pot luck every Monday at their great, old house in East Austin. It's the kind of place the cool, older kids had back in the 90's. You expect to see a Pulp or Smiths poster on the wall, but it's nowadays - so no.
JJ and I have been inspired to jazz up the place lately. We've been shopping a bit, looking for inspiration. LOTS of brainstorming. I definitely want some yellow polka-dots on the wall and maybe some stained glass and a bunch of plants. We're also thinking of coating the wall above the record holder with records - too 90's?

I got 2 pair of jeans today. Woo hoh!

BurningMan satellite event - Flipside

2009-06-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Flipside, a regional version of Burning Man, takes place every year in the Texas Hill Country, about 45 minutes West of Austin. The rugged terrain is transformed into a community campers, grouped into theme camps varying from "Camp Smack That Ass" where visitors are gifted with a firm walloping of the buttocks and a souvenir paddle to the "Snuggledome" where intimacy is cultivated but no sex allowed.
Flipside adheres to the Burning Man tradition of a gift-only economy. If you need something just ask, but bring something to offer! Theme camps pool their efforts to offer a gift to the community. Many have full bars or breakfast cereals, some offer homebrew, domes filled with balloons, or costumes.
First-time attendees frequently camp solo and contribute in varied ways like supplying iced coffee, leading outdoor yoga, offering personalized tours of the night sky, and creating art.
Days are spent in the clothing-optional swimming hole or "sleeping it off", nights in varied revelry. Raves, live bands, drum circles, and conversation by the fire with no bedtime tempt the dawn.

Animals

2009-04-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Jared and my friend's band, Monarch Box, made a video and cast their friends. It was truly fun! I especially liked the kissing under the confetti.

CHIPOLTE'S CARNITAS

2009-02-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

1 pork shoulder roast, boneless (5-6 pounds, marinate if you like)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium tomatoes (peeled, if desired)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2-4 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed or powdered)
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 dried chipotle chilies
3/4 cup water or meat stock
Salt/pepper to taste

Salt and pepper the pork shoulder; allow the meat come to room
temperature, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Add olive oil to a large ovenproof pan. Sear the pork over medium-high
heat until very brown on all sides. Remove pork from the pan; let rest
on a platter for 10 to 15 minutes.

Leaving an even coating, drain excess oil from the pan. Add onions;
sweat over low heat until translucent. Return pork to the pan; add
remaining ingredients. Cover pan, place in the oven and cook for 2 to
3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 140 to 150 degrees
F. Let pork rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing

To do list: Read the 100 best books of the 20th century

2009-02-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

To be updated very, very slowly.

1. 1922 Ulysses James Joyce
2. 1925 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald (read)
3. 1916 A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man James Joyce(read)
4. 1955 Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
5. 1932 Brave New World Aldous Huxley (read)
6. 1929 The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner
7. 1961 Catch-22 Joseph Heller (read...mostly)
8. 1940 Darkness at Noon Arthur Koestler
9. 1913 Sons and Lovers D. H. Lawrence
10. 1939 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck (read)
11. 1947 Under the Volcano Malcolm Lowry
12. 1903 The Way of All Flesh Samuel Butler
13. 1949 Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell (read)
14. 1934 I, Claudius Robert Graves
15. 1927 To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf
16. 1925 An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser
17. 1940 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers (read)
18. 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut
19. 1952 Invisible Man Ralph Ellison
20. 1940 Native Son Richard Wright
21. 1959 Henderson the Rain King Saul Bellow
22. 1934 Appointment in Samarra John O'Hara
23. 1938 U.S.A. (trilogy) John Dos Passos
24. 1919 Winesburg, Ohio Sherwood Anderson
25. 1924 A Passage to India E. M. Forster
26. 1902 The Wings of the Dove Henry James
27. 1903 The Ambassadors Henry James
28. 1934 Tender Is the Night F. Scott Fitzgerald
29. 1935 Studs Lonigan (trilogy) James T. Farrell
30. 1915 The Good Soldier Ford Madox Ford
31. 1945 Animal Farm George Orwell (read)
32. 1904 The Golden Bowl Henry James
33. 1900 Sister Carrie Theodore Dreiser
34. 1934 A Handful of Dust Evelyn Waugh
35. 1930 As I Lay Dying William Faulkner(read)
36. 1946 All the King's Men Robert Penn Warren
37. 1927 The Bridge of San Luis Rey Thornton Wilder
38. 1910 Howards End E. M. Forster
39. 1953 Go Tell It on the Mountain James Baldwin
40. 1948 The Heart of the Matter Graham Greene
41. 1954 Lord of the Flies William Golding (read)
42. 1970 Deliverance James Dickey
43. 1975 A Dance to the Music of Time (series) Anthony Powell
44. 1928 Point Counter Point Aldous Huxley
45. 1926 The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway
46. 1907 The Secret Agent Joseph Conrad
47. 1904 Nostromo Joseph Conrad
48. 1915 The Rainbow D. H. Lawrence
49. 1920 Women in Love D. H. Lawrence
50. 1934 Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller
51. 1948 The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer
52. 1969 Portnoy's Complaint Philip Roth
53. 1962 Pale Fire Vladimir Nabokov
54. 1932 Light in August William Faulkner
55. 1957 On the Road Jack Kerouac (read)Fas
56. 1930 The Maltese Falcon Dashiell Hammett
57. 1928 Parade's End Ford Madox Ford
58. 1920 The Age of Innocence Edith Wharton (read)
59. 1911 Zuleika Dobson Max Beerbohm
60. 1961 The Moviegoer Walker Percy
61. 1927 Death Comes for the Archbishop Willa Cather
62. 1951 From Here to Eternity James Jones
63. 1957 The Wapshot Chronicle John Cheever
64. 1951 The Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger (read)
65. 1962 A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
66. 1915 Of Human Bondage W. Somerset Maugham
67. 1902 Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
68. 1920 Main Street Sinclair Lewis
69. 1905 The House of Mirth Edith Wharton
70. 1960 The Alexandria Quartet Lawrence Durrell
71. 1929 A High Wind in Jamaica Richard Hughes
72. 1961 A House for Mr Biswas V. S. Naipaul
73. 1939 The Day of the Locust Nathanael West
74. 1929 A Farewell to Arms Ernest Hemingway
75. 1938 Scoop Evelyn Waugh
76. 1962 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Muriel Spark
77. 1939 Finnegans Wake James Joyce
78. 1901 Kim Rudyard Kipling
79. 1908 A Room with a View E. M. Forster
80. 1945 Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh
81. 1953 The Adventures of Augie March Saul Bellow
82. 1971 Angle of Repose Wallace Stegner
83. 1979 A Bend in the River V. S. Naipaul
84. 1938 The Death of the Heart Elizabeth Bowen
85. 1900 Lord Jim Joseph Conrad
86. 1975 Ragtime E. L. Doctorow
87. 1908 The Old Wives' Tale Arnold Bennett
88. 1903 The Call of the Wild Jack London (read)
89. 1945 Loving Henry Green
90. 1980 Midnight's Children Salman Rushdie
91. 1932 Tobacco Road Erskine Caldwell
92. 1983 Ironweed William Kennedy (read)
93. 1965 The Magus John Fowles
94. 1966 Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys
95. 1954 Under the Net Iris Murdoch
96. 1979 Sophie's Choice William Styron
97. 1949 The Sheltering Sky Paul Bowles
98. 1934 The Postman Always Rings Twice James M. Cain
99. 1955 The Ginger Man J. P. Donleavy
100. 1918 The Magnificent Ambersons Booth Tarkington

Today I Love

2009-01-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

my freshly mowed and weeded lawn
Alias
box wine
aioli sauce
my dog sunggling me
sarcasm]
commiseration

My Favorite Podcasts

2009-01-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

American Public Media's: Sound Opinions
Big Ideas
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Engines of our Ingenuity
Fordham Conversations
Ockham's Razor (Australian)
One Minute How-To
Philosopher's Zone
Point of Inquiry
Selected Shorts
PRI: The Sound of Young America
SALT- Seminars About Long-Term Thinking
Science Talk
Skeptoid: Critical Analysis
Slate Magazine
Stuff You Should Know
The Economist
the Skeptic's Guide tot he Universe
The Thomas Jefferson Hour
this American Life
WFMT: Critical Thinking
WNYC's Lenord Lopate Show

Fall Update

2008-12-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Long time since I last posted. We've been busy. Randi and Jesse's wedding was a ball, my first time to sing Hava Nagila! The following weekend we had out house-warming party. Lots of folks were there, but most fun was having Jeremy and Laura C. hanging out and *dancing*! It was a really nice reunion.
The following Monday, October 20th, my Aunt Margaret died. She was only 57 and it blew my mind. Since then I've been more or less trying to get my head back on straight. My nephews and nieces were around for a while and we spent Halloween together. We carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating together. We spent Thanksgiving with Jared's family in Sugarland, outside of Houston. Jared's oral defense of his thesis is this Friday. Once he's done with that he's pretty much in the clear. We're ready to be a fully two-income family again! Wish him luck...

Update

2008-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

The floors will be complete this weekend. We have to be moved in by Friday, so I'm taking some time off work next week. We've decided on and Ivy Green and a Chocolate Brown for the dining/living/kitchen, and a light, light green for the bedrooms. Bathrooms are yet to be determined.
I'm hosting Randi's bachelorette party next weekend during ACL. Should be a lot of fun. Jesse's 26th is this weekend, so we're celebrating with -what else- Mexican food. *the choice food of birthdays*
Jared's playing at the Double Wide in Dallas today. He gets to see Tim AND Trey. Dick.
The League's monthly program was standing-room-only last night. *rad*

2008-09-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

Closing

2008-08-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Jared and I close on the house Thursday. The seller installs the new water heater and range tomorrow. We have to buy a fridge. I think we're going with this one: Hotpoint HSS22GFT. It scored 2nd best on Consumer Reports and was half the price of the #1. We chose our range from Consumer Reports too, Hotpoint RGB745WEH. They're both black. We're thinking Daffodil for the living room and Celestial for the dining/kitchen/hallway. Jared wants a bright white for the bedroom but I'm leaning toward a white mint. We'll see.
We found a nice tile that picks up some of the light, light brown colors in the limestone of the fireplace.
We'd like to remove the popcorn from the ceiling, but I hear that it's a real bitch so we may delay it a bit.
We certainly need to think about painting the cabinets as they're pretty lame, but again, not as high a priority!
We're also putting in a tub with fancy-pants jets! It's gonna be standard size since we don't want to do a full remodel, but it'll be deeper and rad.
More updates to come...

I love this man.

2008-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

My Birthday

2008-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be 30 in less than a month which means I'll be undeniable adult and no one can fuck with me! Happy birthday me!

Additionally, it seems this is an opportune time for re-invention of self. Here are some options:
Hippie Kristy: buy more patchwork clothing and use Jared's crystal deodorant.
Academic Kristy: give up on working and just self-stem on campus.
Stimulant Kristy: athletic and lithe, stimulant Kristy can disco till dawn.
90's Kristy: Prozac and a black mani.

House shopping

2008-07-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

We've been looking at houses recently so I thought I'd share some cute pix of Jared on the hunt.

Serotonin Levels Determine Sense of Fairnes

2008-06-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

People who have low serotonin are more apt to think that they were being given unfair treatment in an economic game.

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Levels of a brain chemical known as serotonin govern the way people react to unfair offers when they play the game of life, a new study indicates.

Serotonin, which carries messages between neurons, is involved in emotional control. One recent study found that the expression of anger in women was affected by variations in a gene governing the receptors for serotonin in brain cells.

The new study, reported in the June 5 issue of Science, had people play what is called the Ultimate Game, which is being used widely in psychological and neurological studies. The game has one player proposing a way to split a pot of money. If the offer is accepted by the other player, both get paid. If it is refused, neither gets a payment.

The researchers had some players make deliberately unfair offers: "I get 80 percent, you get 20 percent." They found that players given a chemical that lowered serotonin levels were more likely to reject an unfair offer.

Serotonin levels have that effect, because the chemical is involved in the activity of the prefrontal region of the brain, explained study author Molly J. Crockett, a doctoral student at the University of Cambridge in England.

"One recent study on the Ultimate Game showed that when an unfair offer is accepted, you see activity in the prefrontal cortex," Crockett said. "Down-rating the emotional response makes it more unlikely that an unfair offer will be accepted."

In other words, lower serotonin levels also meant a higher level of resentment, so that an offer that wasn't as good as it might be would be turned down. Conversely, higher serotonin levels would make it easier to live in an imperfect world.

It's hard to apply that knowledge directly, Crockett said.

"What we did was have people fast overnight," she said. "On some days of the study, they took either a pill with all amino acids or a placebo. On the experiment day, they took a pill with all the amino acids but tryptophan. Over the course of several hours, that would have been converted to serotonin."

Knowledge about the role of serotonin in the emotions already is being put to use, sometimes legally and sometimes not, said research team member Matthew D. Lieberman, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Prescription medications such as antidepressants are known to affect serotonin levels, and the same is true of MDMA, the psychedelic drug whose street name is Ecstasy, Lieberman said. It is, he said, "a quick serotonin enhancer."

One everyday implication of the study is that brain chemistry "is going to affect how we judge other people and are treated by other people," Lieberman said.

A proposed experiment would have people play the Ultimate Game inside a magnetic resonance imaging machine that would produce images of brain activity, Lieberman said. "We could see, as we change serotonin levels, how the brain responds in an imaging study to fair and unfair offers," he said.

Phone Envy

2008-06-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

I like to think that I'm above such trivial things but J.C. they got good phones!

Saw her last night

2008-06-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

Golden Rule

2008-05-21T14:36:00.001-07:00

CHRISTIANITY

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets." - Matthew 7:12

JUDAISM

"What is harmful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary." - Talmud, Shabbat, 312

HINDUISM

"This is the turn of duty; do naught unto others which could cause you pain if done to you." - Mahabharata, 5, 1517

CONFUCIANISM

"Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto other that you would not have them do unto you." - Analects, 15, 23

TAOISM

"Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss." - T’sai Shang Kan Ying P’ien

BUDDHISM

"Hurt not others in ways you yourself would find hurtful." - Udana-Varga, 5, 18

ZOROASTRIANISM

"That nature alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not good for itself." - Didistan-i-dinik, 94, 5

ISLAM

"No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself." - Sunnah

SECULAR VIEW

"Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same." - George Bernard Shaw

May 2nd - No Pants Day

2008-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Books I want to read:

2008-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

The City of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
The Parenthood Decision
Cheerfully Childless
MisConceptions by Naomi Wolfe
Survivor: A Novel
The Batille Reader
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Kite Runner
The Way of All Flesh By Samuel Butler

The White Plague by Frank Herbert
Independence Day by Richard Ford
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bello
The Power and the Glory by Graham Green
The Most Of P.G. Wodehouse
The Mind Has No Sex?: Women in the Origins of Modern Science by Londa Schiebinger
Being There by Jerzy Kosinski
Beyond Stretching : Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs by Pavel Tsatsouline
The WInd-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles

Free Lecture

2008-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 7 P.M.
Anne Waldman discusses her life as a Beat poet with Harry Ransom Center Curator of British and American Literature Molly Schwartzburg. This free lecture occurs at the Harry Ransom Center.

Waldman co-founded with Allen Ginsberg the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University, where she serves as the Artistic Director of the Summer Writing Program. She has published dozens of books of poetry, and her work has been translated into several languages.

This program is presented in conjunction with the Ransom Center's current exhibition On the Road with the Beats.

Recording

2008-04-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like recording will start in June for the new Sweet Lee Morrow album. There are plans to record with Grammy-nominated producer John Congleton

Sweet Lee Morrow was just signed to Good Records

2008-04-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Congrats, boys!

Toxic Cleanse

2008-04-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes exit is the best option. Some people stay far too long in toxic relationships, exploitative jobs, and other horrific situations. Anger is the good friend that urges us to leave these situations, that won't let us feel comfortable enduring mistreatment. When you see the sign that says exit, head for it. Sometimes exit entails physically leaving a person or organization. More often, though, it means detaching at a deep emotional level by acknowledging that you are on different wavelengths.

I sold my Bike

2008-04-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

I finally sold my bike. Goodbye, bike!

C.S. Lewis - the "Virgin Mary" of the Church of Christ

2008-04-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to defend the idea that Lewis really is writing for nonbelievers — or even intended to. It’s more plausible that he was writing for believers and that the ridicule of nonbelievers helps create a sense of “us vs. them” solidarity among believers who have faith but don't realize that they have reason behind them as well. They can join together in pitying the poor, benighted atheists.

Sweet Lee Morrow

2008-04-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2008
Austinist Show Preview: The Fever Dreams, Haunting Oboe Music, Visitors, & Sweet Lee Morrow @ Antone's

If you’re in the mood to delve into the music of some fine local acts, you will not want to miss SureFire Media + Promotion’s latest event at Antone’s tonight. When we last checked in with them, we learnt of their plans to bring fresh faces to the historic venue on 5th St. Thursday’s bill features four exciting bands primed for their moment of glory in the Live Music Capital. Haunting Oboe Music has been ubiquitous in the past year, playing everywhere, from The Parlor up north to the Do512 Compound down south, and almost every Red River venue in between. The ambitious band plans to drop an EP every month this year; you can read our review for January’s h here and buy it, along with the February, March, and April releases at Waterloo Records or via iTunes. The Fever Dreams’ experimental psychedelic concoctions are intriguing to the say the least, with numerous twists and turns throughout. The outfit’s versatile creations can be found on last year’s Tregan of Polycorns, also available at Waterloo Records, as well as End of an Ear and Cheapo Discs....

The Anti SXSW

2008-03-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Dolphins and Whales 3D

Dive into a new immersive and highly emotional "must sea" adventure with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Dolphins and Whales 3D: Tribes of the Ocean.

This awe-inspiring film, narrated by Daryl Hannah, will take you from the dazzling coral reefs of the Bahamas to the warm depths of the waters of the exotic Kingdom of Tonga for a close encounter with the surviving tribes of the ocean.
call (512) 936-4649

There is no late seating in the IMAX® Theatre. Please arrive at least 20 minutes before your scheduled show time.

Recurring Dream

2008-03-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

I have a recurring dream that the creek next to my childhood home is either dammed or has such extensive erosion that it loses its form.The creek intersects a river at a right angle and the house is bounded by both. In my dream the river is periodically walled, canal-style and the water is filthy and highly traveled. Frequently my (childhood) home is unchanged but the neighboring homes have a sort of City of Lost Children, surrealist vibe with lots of mill wheels and rickety boardwalks.

B scene

2008-03-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 7, 6–11 PM

Art is feminine.

Join us for B scene, the Blanton's monthly art party. In March celebrate Women's History Month with a special Ladies Night* and a live performance by retro darlings The Carrots. Plus, move and groove to tunes by DJ Honeycomb, explore the artistic expression of women in the Blanton's collection, and enjoy libations from our cash bar and free appetizers courtesy of Catering by Rosemary. Cost: $5 for members; $10 for non–members. Tickets available at the museum.

Ongoing
DJ Honeycomb spins tunes by all of your favorite ladies of rock, pop, and soul.

Enjoy beer, wine, and Blantinis at the cash bar and complimentary hors d'oeuvres in the Atrium. (Drink tickets available for purchase at each bar. Drink tickets will not be served after 10:30 PM.)

Make a magnet using images of women and works by women artists from the Blanton's collection.

6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 PM
Art Briefs tours will examine representations of women throughout the ages, as well as works by women in the collection. Space is limited. Look for free tickets at the Art Briefs sign near the Visitor Services Desk.

9:30 PM
Enjoy the ‘60s girl group–inspired sounds of The Carrots.

* Ladies will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes. Regular admission still applies.

Learn Something Awesome! (for free)

2008-03-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

"Friday, March 7, 7pm
Learn Something Awesome! is tonight. Come by and bring your friends!
Here's the schedule:

- Chinese medicine and acupuncture (as well as a few practical things that
don't necesarrily fit into those categories.) - Laura Farb
- Yoga with a radical perspective. Bring a small blanket? - Devin
- How to make a basic web site in Dreamweaver - taught by myself :-)
- How to create a blog that may eventually earn money - taught by my
sister, Zara
- Crocheting plastic bags into useful items - Cristen Andrews

MonkeyWrench is located at 110 E. North Loop. As always, call us at
407.6925 for directions to the store."

Fantasy Prone Personality

2008-03-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

"A small percentage of the population has retained from childhood a great deal of their ability to "live" their fantasies. What they fantasize is much more vivid and real than for most other people.

Characteristics of a "fantasy prone personality" include vivid waking dreams, susceptibility for hypnosis, possessing imaginary friends as a child, having psychic experiences, having out-of-body or floating experiences, encountering apparitions, visions or hallucinations and receipt of special messages. Many believe that reports of paranormal events or experiences are more likely from such individuals."

A Lovely Sign

2008-03-04T08:30:00.001-08:00

"I know of no good reason to believe, so I do not. I await new evidence to the contrary. After several thousand years, I tend to think it may not be forthcoming".

Visible Indicators of Heart Health

2008-03-03T20:31:00.000-08:00

Corneal arcus appears as a whitish ring on the peripheral cornea with a clear zone between it and the limbus. The white ring is an accumulation of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids. Arcus affects over 60% of the population between 40 and 60 years of age and can be associated with abnormal serum lipid profiles. Although bilateral arcus is a common finding, when it presents unilaterally a carotid workup is indicated to check for plaque deposits.

And another...

Scientists at Liverpool University have established a link between the length of baby boys' fingers and their chances of going on to have a heart attack at an unusually young age.
The longer your ring finger, the more protected you are against heart attack. This is because these boys tend to have lower levels of the male sex hormone testosterone, which is known to protect against heart attack.

The 1st Annual Austin Regional Grilled Cheese Invitational!

2008-03-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

March 22, 2008

The Austin Grilled Cheese Invitational is the first regional Grilled Cheese Invitational in Texas. The winners of this regional will be offered places to compete in the National Invitational in Los Angeles in April, and the winner of the Best in Show will win a plane ticket to sunny southern California for the event. There will be trophies. There will be cheese. It will be amazing.

Anyone is welcome to attend this event and you do not have to compete in order to sample a sammich. All voting is done by audience ballot and each competitor must prepare at least 16 samples of their sammich for the gathered audience members to judge.
On March 22nd, we will all bear witness, but only the true, only the strongest, only proudest and most twisted ponies will earn the sacred right to hold a glimmering, golden trophy aloft for all to see and scream to the malignant heavens above: "I AM A FUCKING GRILLED CHEESE CHAMPION™!

Yours in bread, butter, cheese and victory.

Fredericksburg Knap-In

2008-03-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

April 9-13, Pedernales Knap-in, Fredericksburg, Texas. On the grounds of historic Ft. Martin Scott. We focus on helping beginners get a start, and the Pedernales river is just a mile away. Come on down and collect a few buckets of rock while you're here. The city of Fredericksburg is full of antique stores and shops for the family. Dry camping available on site, or there is an RV park just across the road. For more information contact Michael Roegner 469-371-4422 or Bill Metcalfe 254-634-3264.

4th Annaul Art Outside

2008-03-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

At the Austin Enchanted Forest

TIMES: Fri, March 7 - Sun, March 16 at 7 p.m.; Sun, March 9 - Sun, March 16 from 12-5 p.m.; Sun, March 16 from 12-5 p.m.

COST: $5 day $10 night

You know what art is, right? You visit a quiet, white space, comment on esoteric art pieces, and exchange neutral, respectful remarks with your high-minded peers – sound familiar? Prepare for the gallery opening that wants to completely banish that idea of “art,” and offer something a little more off-the-wall. From March 6th through 16th the Austin Enchanted Forest will attempt to change your mind about art by, first and foremost, taking it outside. The result? The 4th Annual Art Outside event.

Austin Enchanted Forest * 1412 W. Oltorf * Austin, Texas 78704 * 512.743.9031 www.austinenhcantedforest.com www.artoutside.org

How do I find out about shows in Austin?

2008-03-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

ShowListAustin.com
Austinist.com
AustinInStore.com
AustinSound.net
do512.com
AustinChronicle

Ken's Amazing Work

2008-03-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of flint knapper meet-up Ken's pieces. He had a beautiful point made from a television screen.

Flint Knapping Meetup

2008-02-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

"When you find yourself alone in nature with no way out, will you be the hunter or food? We will learn the ways passed on for thousands of years.
Before HEB humans used stone and wood to create food and a home. This group of old and young is a hands on study and practice of stone tool making. As long as man walks this earth we will make and use stone tools.

Make time to visit with us,it will change the way you view your life today.
check out the flint knapping meetup."

80th Annual Kite Festival at Zilker Park

2008-02-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

The Kite Festival was created by the Exchange Club of Austin in 1929 with a mission to encourage creativity in children. The day is “magical” and beautiful as a wonderful array of kites fill the skies over Austin!

Most importantly, the Exchange Club uses revenue from concessions, kite and t shirt sales to help Austin kids who are in abusive situations and to prevent child abuse.

Guess who I saw walkin' at Town Lake?

2008-02-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

Ole' Barry Obama himself! I was just chillin' at the lake on a rock and we walked right by me. Yea!

What's left out of my story:
I was driving to a work event and I saw the secret service cars watching the lake and I figured it was a good bet that either Hilary or Barry was walking so I did a U-turn and parked and walked briskly toward the lake. Saw Barry and crossed his path far in front of him leaving myself enough time to look unimpressed when he walked past me.
I'm cool like Coltrane.

What to do in Wimberley

2008-02-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

I lived in Wimberley from '80 'till '87 and my mother lives there now.

Here are my insider tips:

The easiest way to get there from Austin is to take 290 West to Dripping Springs then turn left onto Rance Road 12. You know you're nearing RR 12 cuz you'll see a Dairy Queen on the right. (PS this DQ sucks. wait 'till you get to Wimberley)

Quick story: The DQ was the first place to have a tall, plastic sign in Wimberley (this is '86) and the sign was shot three times and replaced three times in the first months it was up.

The Cypress Creek Cafe on the square is the better of the cafes. "The Cafe" has a nice bucolic feel at night when they open the bar in the back and have rootsy/bluesy/country type tunes. They have a big fire pit thing in the back which I like.
INOZ is on the square too and has a better view but it's sports bar food. Maybe have a drink at INOZ for the view and enjoy the access to the river bank.

There's a wine bar called Clifford's on RR12 on your way from "Dripping". It's got a nice patio area surrounded by oaks and is pretty private.

I LOVE Pioneer Town but you have to bring your sense of humor and irony. They have these great (read:terrible) set ups of mannequins playing cards and other household activities and an 8 foot stuffed "jackalope". There's never anyone there since the liability insurance forced the closure of the fort and the train so it's really desolate and rad. There's also an arcade and an ice cream parlor. Did I mention that it had it's heyday in the 60's?

There is a coffee shop across the street from the grocery store.

Bella Vista is the Olive grove. It's not TERRIBLY exciting but it's pretty cool to see. I like Wimberley Glass Works and the Bonsai museum. This last one sounds dull but it's pretty cool.

The Old Mill store next to the Cypress Creek Cafe has the best candy.

This link has a map to Old Baldy which is a "Texas mountain" with a great view. A great place to picnic or just get away.

Recipe to try

2008-02-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

My new years resolution *last year* was to learn to cook tofu so here I am, a year and 2 months later, making plans to make my first tofu-based meal.

"Scrambled Tofu
Submitted by Isa
prep time: 5 minutes | cooking time: 30 minutes | makes 4-ish
Tofu was meant to be scrambled. I think I'll make a t-shirt that says that because it's so darn true. I make many variations on this but this is the one I made this morning. The most important thing is that you get the texture right, you want it to be crumbled but chunky, because as you cook it it will crumble more, so just give it a squeeze and crumble through your fingers right into the pan when you're ready to cook it.
Equipment:
Skillet, I prefer cast iron but use what you've got
Firm wooden spatula

Ingredients
1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium chopped white onion (about a cup)
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 carrot (this is optional, I grate it in at the end, mostly for color)

spice blend:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed with your fingers
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Saute onions 3 minutes, until softened. Add mushrooms, saute 5 minutes more. Add garlic, saute 2 minutes more. Add spice blend and mix it up for 15 seconds or so. Add 1/4 cup water and deglaze the pan, scrapingthe bottom to get all the garlic and spices.

Crumble in tofu and mix well. Don't crush the tofu, just kind of lift it and mix it around. You want it to remain chunky. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if necesary to keep it from sticking too much. Lower the heat a bit if you find that it is sticking. Add lime juice. Add nutritional yeast and mix it up. If it seems too dry add splashes of water. The moistness really depends on how much water the tofu was retaining before you added it.

Grate the carrot into it and fold. Serve with guacamole and salsa and potatoes and toast and tempeh bacon. Then rub your tummy till well into the afternoon."

What to do in Austin for the eclipse?

2008-02-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Public Lecture: The Possibility of Life Elsewhere in the Universe
Chris Chyba, Professor of astrophysical sciences and international affairs at Princeton University, will deliver the lecture "The Possibility of Life Elsewhere in the Universe," Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30PM in room 2.224 of Welch Hall (map). The talk is free and open to the public. Like his mentor, Carl Sagan, Dr. Chyba was long associated with the SETI Institute, which searches for intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. Weather permitting, public viewing of the evening's total lunar eclipse will follow, on the 17th floor of RLM (map). Totality begins at 9:00PM.

Enjoy a spectacular view of the full moon rise and the lunar eclipse from the overlook of Wild Basin. Learn about the different moon phases, science, legends, and lore with the knowledgeable volunteers of the Austin Astronomical Society. You may want to bring a small flashlight, water, and a cushion. $5 for adults; $3 for seniors and ages 5-12. Reservations required.

There's always Mount Bonnell or the overlook at the 360 bridge.

Women’s Sexual Assault Prevention Seminar

2008-02-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

"Learning Self-Defense begins with not thinking of yourself as a victim. Looking strong, alert, confident and healthy is the first line of defense against a violent or sexual assault. But if the unthinkable happens, recent events have PROVEN that fighting back WORKS! If it comes down to it, learn the system Law Enforcement agencies use to protect their Officers, that system is Krav Maga.

Come participate in this valuable three-hour class at our Penn Field location March 15, from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. The class is $29, a small price to feel confident in your ability to defend yourself.

Get the tools that you need. To sign up or for more information, call 441-KRAV or visit www.fitandfearless.com."

Bas Rutten

2008-02-13T10:08:00.001-08:00

I took a class on a mixed martial arts that's new to me called Bas Rutten. This guy:
It kicked my ass. We started with punching and ducking which is all good. Then we were to head-butt our partner and grab them from behind the knees, dropping them to the ground. Then we were to pin them and more or less lie on them. When you're falling backward you have to stretch out your arms at a 45 degree angle from your body with hands flat to disperse your weight. You can't put them out too early, though, or you'll end up bracing yourself with your wrists which is a very, very bad thing to do.

I got robbed in the office!

2008-02-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

Some guy came in while I was visiting my coworker's office and stole $13 out of my purse. Turns out he pushed a lady next door down and took her whole purse so I got off pretty easy! And the cops came -- at least 10 or 15 of them -- and they searched all the rooms in the building. And they pulled out their guns one time. And one of them had an iPhone.

so many heros so little time

2008-02-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

"For me, it is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan

National Karaoke League

2008-02-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

"If you’ve ever belted out Journey at the top of your lungs or totally owned on a group version of Sweet Caroline, then the National Karaoke League is for you! The National Karaoke League (or NKL) is competitive coed team-based karaoke for adults who love to have some fun and rock the mic.

The inaugural division is open for registration in Live Music Capital of the World, Austin, Texas. But you don't have to be a world class musician to have a great time in the National Karaoke League! Our league encourages everyone to sing and meet new people over the silliest "sport" in the world.

The season starts Wednesday, March 5th at 8pm with a Get-To-Know-Your-Team Night, and continues every Wednesday in March and April, concluding with the Finals and End of Season Party on April 30th. Our league home is the Bennigan's Grill and Tavern at 301 Barton Springs Dr. and they're providing league members with some great specials:
-$2 domestics
-$2 margaritas
-$2 long islands
-$2 cosmos
-$3 select appetizers
...but only for people in their NKL league t-shirt!

Check out our website at http://www.nationalkaraokeleague.com and get registered today! Our first division will be capped at 48 members, so sign up soon and start singing in your shower, because you won't want to miss your chance to join the National Karaoke League! "

religion makes me laugh

2008-02-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Trans-Atlantic Cables Cut

2008-02-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Arthur C. Clark's Songs of Distant Earth has a sub-plot in which intelligent lobster-like creatures cut the undersea communication cables with their claws. Then they wrap them around their wrists and wear them as trophy-jewelry.

The photo below shows a similar lobster-like creature attempting to consume a Volkswagen Beetle while a family watches, unable to stop the creature.

My new Faith

2008-02-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

With millions, if not thousands, of devout worshippers, the Church of the FSM is widely considered a legitimate religion, even by its opponents - mostly fundamentalist Christians, who have accepted that our God has larger balls than theirs.

Some claim that the church is purely a thought experiment, satire, illustrating that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism into public schools. These people are mistaken. The Church of FSM is real, totally legit, and backed by hard science. Anything that comes across as humor or satire is purely coincidental."

Wild Basin, Austin

2008-02-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

February 16 , Saturday

Flintknapping 10 am-12 pm
Make your first arrowhead with J. C. Pollard. Learn how to safely work stone into points of varying styles. Tools, safety glasses and knapping materials provided. Ages 13+; $6 per person.

February 20 , Wednesday

Moonlighting with Total Lunar Eclipse 8-10 pm
Enjoy a spectacular view of the full moon rise and the lunar eclipse from the overlook of Wild Basin. Learn about the different moon phases, science, legends, and lore with the knowledgeable volunteers of the Austin Astronomical Society. You may want to bring a small flashlight, water, and a cushion. $5 for adults; $3 for seniors and ages 5-12. Reservations required.

http://www.wildbasin.org/index.lasso?ref=calender

Hack your Wine

2008-02-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

A metal hanger works (poorly) as a corkscrew. Unwind the hanger and use the coiled part to screw into the cork. Pull. pull more. Ask a friend to help pull. Fall down, laugh, etc., etc., etc.

The Tipsy Texan

2008-01-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

My new favorite blog, The Tipsy Texan
We got together at David's place and played G-Dub BINGO on Tuesday. I got the second BINGO which isn't really winning but isn't losing either.

Idle Brain

2008-01-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

I suspect that this thread will change my life in a subtle breath-of-air and a relaxing-of-shoulders kind of way.
Check it Out

I <3 I Can Has Cheezeburger!

2008-01-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

Dog Pee in Yo Carpet

2008-01-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

Black lights let you see where your dog peed if it has dried.
1. Mix a solution of fifty percent white vinegar and fifty percent water. You must use a liberal amount of this solution to reach the carpet fibers deep down. Work the solution in with a scrubbing brush to ensure it penetrates the carpet fibers below. Now blot the area again using the paper towel method above. The vinegar will neutralize the ammonia in the dog urine. This area must now be allowed to dry which you can assist by using a fan or opening the windows. If you own a wet and dry vacuum extractor use that to remove excess moisture.

2. When the area has dried sprinkle a good handful of baking soda over the soiled area. Mix half a cup of hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of detergent. Ordinary dish washing detergent works. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and slowly pour the hydrogen peroxide and detergent mixture over the baking powder. Work the dissolving baking soda well into the carpet, first with your fingers and then with a scrubbing brush.

Once again allow the area to dry completely and then vacuum thoroughly.
If yo dog pees a lot in da house you may have to repeat the process.

My Shooz Fucking Rock!

2008-01-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Re-Post

2008-01-21T15:42:00.001-08:00

Hello,

I am organizing a nude yoga class in Round Rock. We are still getting everything together, but would greatly appreciate it if you'd visit our meetup site at http://yoga.meetup.com/631/. Please look it over and determine if this is something you'd like to join and/or recommend to your members.

The fee will be $10 per session. This will go to pay the rent for the facilities and compensate the instructor for her time.

Let me know what you think.

Thank you for your time,
Chris

Interest Categories

2008-01-21T10:09:00.001-08:00

People tend to fall in six categories from what interests them the most

* People
* Places
* Things
* Activities
* Information
* Time

Fever Trivia

2008-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

to quote:

"What is fever, you ask? What is a normal temperature, I reply. And like every fool, you respond, "Why it's 98.6". Save me. I wish I had a nickel for every patient that said "My normal temperature is 96, so 98.6 is a fever for me." ARRRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. You know, my mind remains boggled by the number of medical people who do not know what normal temperature is, and therefore do not know what constitutes a fever. The worst thing (well, not really) that ever happened to doctors is the red line on the mercury thermometers at 98.6.

98.6 is derived from 19th century readings with miscalibrated foot long axillary thermometers. Recent studies with modern thermometers (and every health care provider should read Mackowiak et al JAMA, 1992:268 pg 1578) reveal the following:

The maximal temperature varies from a low of 37.2°C (98.9°F) at 6 AM to a high of 37.7°C (99.9°F) at 4 PM. Please note the diurnal variation. Ovulating women (but not ovulating men) have the early morning relative hyperthermia.

Age does not significantly influence temperature.

Women have a slightly higher average oral temperature than men 36.9°C (98.4°F) versus 36.7°C (98.1°F). (are men cooler or women hotter? I'll let others decide)

Oral temperature of smokers does not differ nonsmokers.

No single temperature can be designated as the upper limit of normal.

37.2°C (98.9°F) was the maximal oral temperature (i.e., the 99th percentile) recorded at 6 AM, at 4 PM, the maximal oral temperature observed reached 37.7°C (99.9°F).

Fever is defined as an early-morning temperature of 37.2°C (99.0°F) or greater OR a temperature of 37.8°C (100°F) or greater at any time during the day.

So there."

Skeptics Guide to the Universe

2008-01-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm solidly in love with podcasts. I find shopping and walking are now pleasurable and worthy of anticipation!
Some of my favorites are:
Science Talk
Philosophy Talk
The Naked Scientist
Harvard Business Review (HBR) Ideacast
and
The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe which is easily my favorite.

2007-11-20T13:16:00.001-08:00

Mood swings, indeed

2007-11-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

She doesn't get in a bad mood she gets in foul, cloying, sludgey, sticky ooze of a mood. It's like a cloud of gray slips over her and every word, gesture, off-hand comment is made toxic. All the world is sneering at her flaws of which every one is exposed and raw. She feels naked, submerged in the foulness of life and nothing is redeeming. This is her mood.

End-of-life story

2007-11-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

Funeral planning - macabre, yes but not as sad as a funeral that would sicken the deceased. So I'm being proactive. Here's info in the unfortunate case of my untimely death:

Humanist Celebrants conduct Humanist, nonreligious, and interreligious weddings, commitment/same-sex unions, memorials, baby namings, and other life cycle ceremonies. Below is a list of practitioners.
http://www.humanist-society.org/celebrants/celebrant.html#Texas

I am an organ donor as stated on my drivers license.

Here's something you should say about me: She was funny and artistic, astonishingly well read, and had a vivid and charming imagination. She loved nature and wild animals and her pets.

Plato: "Formerly you shone among the living like the star of dawn. Now, dead, you shine like the evening star among the departed."

Jackson Brown's "These Days" is one of my favorites.

I'd like my great love with Jared to be acknowledged as my greatest accomplishment. but I'd also like to list here some of my adventures:
soloed in a cessna
played steel drum
krav maga
saw machu picchu
lived in Mexico
forged spiritual path
helped a million memoirists ;)
learned massage
did ballet
Scuba dived

Carnival Conquest Cruise, Oct. 21-28

2007-10-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

Embarkation was very easy - even though I had left the Fun Pass in the taxi! I couldn't have bypassed the photos in the embarkation area - it was too tight and there were too many people. This was annoying to me since I do photography and I knew I wouldn't be buying the photo!

We has an inside stateroom on the Upper (6th) deck. For the price $549pp it was amazing! The comforter, pillows, and sheets were lovely and soft. The room was plenty big and the bathroom was actually surprisingly big.

There was only ONE outlet (and I had ignored the suggestion to bring a power strip!) I found no outlet in the bathroom at all.

There was plenty of closet space and all six bags fit under the bed easily.

We ate at the more formal dining room (Monet) every night of the cruise. The quality of the food was very good. Keep in mind that you're eating mass-produced foods so there are going to be sub-par qualities and above-par qualities. For instance: nothing was crispy, ever and the creme brulee was hot throughout. The meat was where the real value was! I took a galley tour and spotted their guide to cooking meat. What they show as medium-rare is what I would call medium so ORDER YOUR STEAK RARE is you like you meat not brown throughout. The waiters were so very comfortable with my sending back over cooked meat - what a joy not to feel like a jerk!

The ship employees are almost exclusively international. We noticed lots of Croatians and Phillipinos but I heard there were folks from over 50 countries! Accents were not a problem ever.

We toured the galley which was an anti-climax but worth doing.

I love the Lido deck! The music was tolerable and NO KIDS! We camped on the deck chairs Monday and Tuesday, hopped from pool to tub to pizza to chair again. This was the best part of the cruise.

We enjoyed tea-time greatly. The chicken salad and salmon sandwiches were delicate and lovely and the sweets were great as well. The tea selection was limited to six or eight teas - I had Earl Grey and Darjeeling and my DH had Orange herbal.

The coffee on board is awful but the iced tea is so bad it make the coffee look good! Bring tea bags if you require palatable iced tea. There are coffee bars on the Promenade and the Lido decks with Starbucks type and priced coffee.

We attended the Mardi Gras party on Tuesday. This is every Tuesday and I highly suggest it. It is NOT COOL in any way but has the distinct feeling of summer camp with booze and this is a good quality indeed! Drink heavily and quickly.

Jamaica was lovely! We were dropped off at the first shopping area which held out attention for about 3 minutes. We decided to walk to the Doctors Cave beach (Sunset Beach was closed according to the lady at the debarkation area).

Doctors Cave was a beautiful beach (an ex-pat said it was the prettiest in all of Jamaica...well....it was nice to hear!)
There were only tourists there - no locals.
We lunched at the pork pit (only locals).
We walked all over with no trouble. We left out wedding rings and passports on the ship to be careful but it was a non-issue. I was offered a lot of drugs and even got to look at a photo album of a marijuana plantation! Upon returning to the ship through security my husbands genitals were extensively patted down (over his shorts) to look for drugs.

Grand Cayman was wonderful also. We visit the sting rays which is a must do! They are like cats or golden retrievers who want a tasty treat.

Cozumel was amazing as usual. The snorkeling was sadly much worse than last time I was there 8 years ago. the water was still sparkling in ten colors of blue and the fish are beautiful! We saw an octopus and a sea turtle as well.

Over all the cruise exceeded my expectations. I was truly able to relax.

Alternative Universities

2007-10-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Try checking out more alternative universities such as the ones in Colleges That Change Lives.

Check out the book Delaying The Real World by Colleen Kinder
Transitions Abroad is a top source for anything international/travel related.

If you like performing community service and traveling, check out Up with People. It's not at all religious or conservative like it used to be in the past. AFS may have programs for older people.

Semester at Sea and The ScholarShip let you gain a semester's credit of university on a world cruise.
If you're willing to spend 3 years overseas, and you're interested in business and social enterprise, apply for the KaosPilots.

Best Swimming Holes in Texas

2007-10-16T08:49:00.001-07:00

Rumor has it that the best swimmin' hole is just 30 miles west of Austin in Spicewood. I'm vowed to check it out in the spring. Directions: Hwy 71 west for 34 miles. Seven miles past the Pedernales turn right at the "Spicewood" sign onto Spur 191. Turn right onto County Rd 404, over the low-water crossing and see it on your left.
830-693-4181

Other places to check:
Devil's Waterhole in Burnet
From Burnet head west on Hwy 29 for nine miles toward Inks Lake State Park, Left on Park Road 4 for 3 miles. 512-793-2223

Colorado River at Colorado Bend State Park between Lampasas and San Saba
From the intersection of 281 and 183 in Lampasas take FM 580 west for 24 miles to Bend. Follow the signs. 325-628-3240

Rotary Club

2007-10-11T15:35:00.001-07:00

I found out that my paternal grandfather refused to vow that he believed in god when joining the Rotary Club. They excepted him from this requirement. Wowza, I have a new respect!

Blanton's B-Scene

2007-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Tasty crudite and sweets are included.

The DJ spins while I tour the museum.

Wimberley's culinary coming-of-age

2007-10-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Wimberley has long been a popular central Texas tourist destination, offering a slow pace, cowboy-hippie culture, quaint country charm, lovely folk art, plenty of shopping, and Market Days, the second largest flea market in Texas. Tourists thirst for a visit to the Blanco River, eager to alternate days of tubing or sunbathing on sleepy banks with cooking classes and shopping. In the last 10 years the cuisine of Wimberley has grown into its britches, appealing to Austin foodies who long to experience the local fare. The Wimberley culinary tourist trend was greatly influenced by its inclusion in the list of top 10 small towns in America by Travel Holiday Magazine. The high regard for Wimberley did not escape the notice of local entrepreneurs and an array of lovely restaurants began to spring up to meet the needs of weekend visitors. Visitors soon began to encourage Wimberley cooks and authors to publish books aimed at local cooking and life and arranged for experts such as Terri Burney-Bisett and Mark Malowski to set up cooking classes to teach and promote hill country cuisine. USA Today named The Blair House Bed and Breakfast one of the top 10 cooking schools in the nation and Austin American Statesman food critic Dale Rice calls the Cypress Creek Cafe’s chicken fried sirloin “the epitome of classic fare”. The result of this explosion of quality eateries is that culinary vacations are now among the most sought-after and savored Texas vacations.

Pioneer Town-Wimberley

2007-10-08T14:51:00.001-07:00

Raymond L. Czichos had a house on about 6 acres and people wanted to rent the rooms so he moved his family into the work house . He built the first 4 cabins in 1946. As he got the money he re-invested it in more cabins and land, eventually accruing 160 acres total. Pioneer town was built from 1946-1958. The cafe was the first part of the "town". Wimberley was 1.5 miles away and had only one little restaurant which closed at five. His guests wanted a place to eat and socialize so he put in the cafe and had his daughters do skits and sell ice cream and trinkets. The ice cream parlor went in next and after that the opera house.
The 1700's replica steam train, horseback riding, diving board and slide, and fort were shut down due to insurance costs in the last 1990's. According to manta.com the business has an estimated annual sales of $220,000. I didn't find any site offering 7A Resort for sale.

a nice quote for a Friday

2007-10-05T14:02:00.001-07:00

"As I argued briefly in Letter to a Christian Nation, I think that 'atheist' is a term that we do not need, in the same way that we don't need a word for someone who rejects astrology. We simply do not call people 'non-astrologers.'" he said. "All we need are words like 'reason' and 'evidence' and 'common sense' and 'bullshit' to put astrologers in their place, and so it could be with religion."
-Sam Harris

I got a piece up on LOLtheist.com. Yipee!

2007-10-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

www.loltheist.com

New CDs

2007-10-05T09:36:00.003-07:00

Les Paul with Mary Ford “Best of the Capitol Masters”

Dwight Yoakum “A Long Way Home”

Nick Drake “Way To Blue”

2007-10-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

Pearlescent spray

2007-10-05T09:25:00.001-07:00

After my visit to the Genius Bar and the food court I dropped by trade secret to browse. I found a lovely product called BROCATO SHIMMER PEARLESCENT SPRAY and sprayed it on d’ecollet’e and arms.

Then I went to Krav Maga and sweat pearlescent rivulets and dripped pearlescent snowflakes on the floor.

Walking Pneumonia

2007-10-05T09:24:00.003-07:00

I have sumptin’ nasty in my lungs. A nasty, nasty guest. ere’s a picture of some lungs that look like mine feel:

I feel it’s relatively accurate as the doctor said my fluid’s in the lower right lobe and that I have hot ribs. Also, they wouldn’t let me have the x-rays so I’m doin’ my best here.

My lungs sound like Rice Krispies. Only when it’s quiet though.

I don't live in L.A.

2007-10-05T09:24:00.001-07:00

Do you ever take a deep breath of fresh air and remember that you don’t live in L.A?

It’s so lovely and fresh to remember what you have.

I was just thinking about eggs and wondering why hens lay unfertilized eggs (seems like a waste of nutrients!). Anyway, I was thinking how no one around me would say, “because God knew we needed food”. In my adolescence almost everyone who would have been a resource for questions like that would have given just such an answer. If I’d said “well, but, I mean, are there any other reasons?” I would get the evil “are you thinking about evolution, young lady” look.

I don’t mean to sound angry (though I am resentful of lost education) but just need to say count your blessings!

If you’ve never experienced this you’re lucky and if you’ve come out of it with your brain in tact and you sense of wonder and curiosity not snuffed out you should really pat yourself on the back.

nightmare

2007-10-05T09:23:00.005-07:00

I’m walking in a channel of filthy water maybe 15 feet wide. The sides are lines with vendors of nasty looking things like water-logged veggies, diseased looking stuff, or they’re prostitutes. I’m looking for J.J. who has the nickname raspberry(?). I get out of the channel and sneak through a door where I find doctors performing tests on a woman. I realize that, here, there are no regulations on this sort of thing and I sense that she’s being tortured.

Favorite Podcasts

2007-10-05T09:23:00.003-07:00

Austin Atheist Community: http://www.nonprophetsradio.com/audio/index.php

Stanford on Itunes: http://itunes.stanford.edu/

Grammar Girl: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx

I'm linked to!

2007-10-05T09:23:00.001-07:00

Someone linked to me so I linked to him and we’re havin’ a big-o lincoln party.

Here's what he linked to:
Kristy's Magical Discovery

Contributed by Kristy Bordine, League staff member and avid reader:

I have single-handedly solved Austin's mass-transit problem! The Edward's Aquifer is full of streams, and I personally am more than willing to travel by underground inner tube, Schlitterbahn-style. We'd have to put some snack machines in, of course. --from the newsletter of Writers'League of Texas

Flint knap advice from stranger on MySpace

2007-10-05T09:22:00.004-07:00

I’m trying to find material for klint knapping and having no luck. Any hints on how to tell if churt is flint-bearing or not? -Kristy

Abe from Myspace:

I’ve been having a little trouble finding good materials as well, you can look in rocky creek bottoms for rocks that have a glossy look to them and chip off a piece with a hammer stone or billet and see if it’s flint, but flint needs to be tempered at about 300-450 degrees fore 12 or 24 hrs. a good material is glass, from a bottle with a flat thick bottom, that’s what I’ve been using.